Fairfield police said a man dubbed the "hard hat robber," who issuspected of two armed robberies in Fairfield, was arrested last month in SanFrancisco.

Eric Johnson, 45, a Bay Area transient with an extensive criminal history, is suspected of robbing two convenience store and check cashing businesses on North Texas Street in Fairfield on March 29 and April 3, Fairfield police Sgt. Troy Oviatt said.

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In both armed robberies he was dressed in an orange reflective vest and hard hat, Oviatt said. Johnson allegedly struck a customer in the head with a gun, fled on foot, entered a stolen car and drove from the area in the March 29 incident, Oviatt said.

He was then picked up by someone driving a silver Chrysler Town & Country minivan. The driver of the minivan is unknown, Oviatt said. Johnson is also suspected of robbing two employees of another Fairfield convenience store at gunpoint on April 3, Oviatt said.

On April 5, Johnson allegedly committed an armed robbery at a Vallejo gas station and fled in a stolen vehicle, Oviatt said.

Vallejo police arrested Johnson in the stolen vehicle and Johnson was booked into Solano County Jail, Oviatt said. He was released from jail and on Aril 19 he was arrested by San Francisco police on a warrant for the two Fairfield armed robberies, Oviatt said.

"He is a career criminal," Oviatt said.

Johnson has had law enforcement contact in San Francisco, Vallejo, Fairfield, San Mateo and Sacramento, Oviatt said.

He has been arrested on multiple charges that include rape, burglary, assault, home invasion robbery, DUI, child cruelty and abuse, battery, false imprisonment, probation and parole violations and he is a registered sex offender, Oviatt said.

It's not known when Johnson will be transferred to Fairfield to face the robberies and vehicle theft charges in Solano County, Oviatt said.